


Being and Becoming...A Tale of Two Daniels

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-02-27
Updated: 2008-02-27
Packaged: 2019-05-31 07:12:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15114383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: "Every time I see him it feels like the last time.  It's been that way for almost 35 years."





	Being and Becoming...A Tale of Two Daniels

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

“We don’t have to go tonight. Seriously, we could just cancel if you're under the weather.”

“I'm not under the weather.”

“You said you felt rundown and your stomach was bothering you earlier.”

“Yes earlier, but I feel fine now. I will just skip liquor tonight and keep me away from anything spicy.”

“CJ…”

“I am fine. There is no way we are canceling tonight. You haven’t seen your father in almost four years; this is important.”

CJ and Danny were in San Francisco for a long weekend. It was the second week of May and his father was in the town for a conference. When he called his son, Danny jumped at the opportunity to see him. CJ had actually never seen him so animated. The Concannon men were close but face-to-face visits were infrequent. 

“My parents split when I was 15 and I did not see my father’s face again until high school graduation. His work took him away…it wasn’t as if he didn’t want to be there.”

“What does he do again?”

“He is a photojournalist.” Danny came into the bathroom where CJ was fixing her makeup. “He has covered some of the most amazing things all over the world. I remember the day I told him that I wanted to be a reporter. He was so proud of me.”

“That’s wonderful.” She sighed into the mirror. Danny would never get to know her father…he died last year. CJ knew he was in a better place but that did not make her miss him any less. She managed a smile when Danny wrapped his arms around her waist. “Don’t get fresh Mr. Washington Post; we have to go soon.”

“You're sure you're alright?” he asked.

“Mmm hmm. I'm excited to meet your dad.”

“He is going to love you.”

“How do you know that?”

“Firstly, you are amazing. Secondly, my father loves women. They're his weakness you see…women, danger, and bourbon.”

“He sounds like a character.”

“Oh yeah.”

***

It drizzled as they emerged from the cab and walked into Big 4 Restaurant. Holding hands, CJ and Danny approached the host podium.

“Reservation for three under the name Concannon.”

“Right this way sir. Your other guest is already here.”

It struck CJ that Danny and his father looked nothing alike. Daniel Concannon, Sr. was about the same height as his son with a head of thick white hair and piercing green eyes. He took good care of his body. Overall, he was a handsome devil.

“Ah Danny boy, it’s so good to see you.”

“Hey dad.”

Their hug was strong with much backslapping. The elder Concannon grabbed his son’s face and kissed him.

“You're getting a bit chunky boy,” he grabbed Danny’s middle. “Yoga and the treadmill would be good for you.”

“Yes sir.”

“Aha, is this she?”

“This is CJ Cregg, my…”

“Girlfriend.” CJ extended her hand. “It’s very good to meet you.”

“You as well. You're stunning.”

“Thank you sir.”

“Oh no, none of that sir stuff. Call me Dan.” He said as they sat. “I am not just saying you are stunning because you used to be on television or because I'm a shameless flirt. You really are stunning. Where are you from?”

“Dayton, Ohio.”

When the server came for the drink orders, CJ ordered an iced tea. Danny was quite surprised when his father ordered the same thing but he made it a triple order.

“I gave up drinking three years ago.” Dan said. “There is enough out there in the field to kill me. I'm not a young man anymore, Danny boy; I had to put an end to my bender days. So, Dayton, Ohio. If all the women are as pretty as you then I will have to make a stop there in the near future.”

“Single again?” Danny asked.

“Not entirely. Therese is here in town with me actually. We get together from time to time.”

“Therese?” CJ asked.

“Therese Nichols. I would have invited her tonight but she had an event herself.”

“What does she do?” 

Danny was almost afraid to hear the answer to CJ’s question.

“A budding novelist, my dear, and she is good too. She is Candace Bushnell meets Zane meets some other cosmopolitan female writer. It’s only a matter of time before she is huge. She is also Miss March and first runner up for 2004 Playmate of the Year. She would have won too, if she were a blonde. It’s a rigged competition.”

“I see.” CJ stifled a giggle.

“Dad, you're dating a Playboy Bunny?”

“No son, a Playmate. I don’t like to call it dating, that’s what young people do. We see each other from time to time. Martha is still my favorite companion.”

Dr. Martha Charles was practically Danny’s stepmother. She and Dan Concannon had been on and off for decades; she mothered two of his five children. She was one of the top ovarian cancer specialists in the world, a pillar in the upper class African-American community, working at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

“Why does she put up with you?” Danny asked as their drinks arrived.

“She hardly does, hence Therese. I love her but I cannot settle. It’s an Irish thing…I tried and I failed. At least I tried.” Dan scanned the menu. He wanted to know his dinner choice before the server returned. “How is your mother?”

“Good. She knew we were coming out with you tonight.”

“Oh God, no wonder I had heartburn all day…she probably put a hex on me.”

“WASP girls don't know hexes.” Danny replied.

“You're probably right.” Dan laughed. “Just don’t let me eat anything spicy.”

“I said the same thing.” CJ said.

“Heartburn?”

“No, my stomach has just been funny lately. We don’t need to get into all of that.”

“Alright. I want to know all about you CJ. My son has been in love with you for as long as I can remember.”

“Dad,” Danny said through clenched teeth. “Do we really need to go there?”

“What? You think she didn’t know, boy. Women have us read before we even make that first move…hell, they make the first move these days. Isn’t that right, CJ?”

“Oh yes.” She covered Danny’s hand on the table and he smiled.

“You had me read?” he asked.

“Maybe not the second you walked into the room but soon thereafter.”

“See, I told you. You're stunning, and brilliant. Let us converse. Have you two set a wedding date?”

“No sir.” CJ shook her head. 

“Don’t call me sir. Oh God, I don’t look that old, do I? You know what; I'm in the mood for dessert first. What about you CJ? Do you want to eat backwards tonight?”

“OK.” she laughed.

“Excellent. So dessert and no wedding date…catch me up on the rest.”

***

“When am I going to see you again?” Danny asked.

After over three hours of laughter, conversation, food, and absolutely no liquor, CJ and Danny walked back with his father to the Inter-Continental Mark Hopkins where he was staying. Steady drizzle fell now and the breeze coming off the bay was warm.

“I really don’t know. There is a chance I will be in New York around Thanksgiving with Martha but plans could change. Oh, I almost forgot…give me your phone son; I have some new information.”

Danny handed over his Blackberry, watching as his father typed things better than he could ever dream to.

“Everything is so damn newfangled.” Dan said as his swift fingers moved over the keys. “I went digital, I had to, but you cannot create a beautiful photo from a computer chip. Anyway, there is something fantastic and sexy about being able to show a woman your darkroom. Wouldn’t you say, Claudia Jean?”

“Oh, it is right up there with poetry, guitars, and etchings.” She replied.

“Exactly.” He handed the phone back. “So, I don’t know Danny but now you have my new emails and my cell phone. If for any reason you cannot find me and need me…”

“I know, call Martha.”

“Exactly. Have you talked to your little siblings lately? Call them.”

“I will.” Danny nodded. His half-brother Michael was a writer in New York and his half-sister Karen did PR in Hollywood. He would have to reach out to her since they were so close. “Have you seen Bess and Jen?”

Danny was the oldest of the Concannon children. His sister Jennifer was two years younger and his sister Bess came along eight years after Jen.

“I will see Jen when I'm in London next month. Bess and I are doing better…she takes my phone calls now.”

“She was really young when you and mom split up. She saw Wallace more as a father figure.”

“I know.” He put his hands on his son’s shoulders. “Don’t hold grudges son, they only hurt you and not the people you are holding them against. Moreover, I read they cause ulcers and wrinkles. No one needs that. And lose a spot of weight boy; maintain your health. It’s all you got. You have to keep yourself attractive for this glorious woman.”

“Yes sir.” Danny nodded. “I love you dad.”

“I love you too.” They shared another hug and kiss. “Claudia Jean, you are wonderful.” He hugged her too. “Take care of him.”

“I will do my best. It was great to meet you.”

“You too love.”

He squeezed his son’s hand and then walked across the lobby to the elevator. One more wave before he got on and Dan Concannon disappeared. Danny stood there for a while, staring at the spot where his father once stood. CJ slipped her arm around him; he leaned his head on her shoulder.

“Every time I see him it feels like the last time. It’s been that way for almost 35 years.”

“Yeah…I know the feeling.”

He looked at her, stroking her cheek and then kissing it.

“Are you up for another walk? Our hotel isn’t very far away.”

“Will there be any hills?” CJ asked.

“Well honey, we are in San Francisco, so the odds are definitely in the hills’ favor.”

“At least I wore my comfy shoes. C’mon.” she took his hand and they left the hotel.

“Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight? I should have; you are just glowing.” He put up the large blue umbrella his father left with him. He and CJ walked close together though there was plenty of space. “Red looks great on you.”

She wore an Isaac Mizrahi wrap-around cocktail dress that brushed her knees.

“Thank you.” She kissed his cheek. “I'm craving ice cream.”

Danny looked at her.

“We had dessert, appetizers, and salad. You really want ice cream?”

“Strawberry. It’s not too late.” CJ looked at her watch. “Room service should have it.”

“If you want ice cream…you shall have ice cream.”

She smiled, kissing him again. The Ritz-Carlton lobby was crowded but the couple went straight to the elevator. Once the doors closed, Danny pulled her close. CJ wrapped her arms around his neck.

“How about a kiss for your favorite guy?” he asked.

CJ looked around the empty elevator. 

“I don’t see Christian Bale anywhere around here.”

“That was just wrong, Claudia Jean.”

She laughed; that wonderful laugh that made Danny feel as if champagne bubbles filled his stomach. He kissed her again just as they reached their floor.

***

“What's the story with your father and Martha?” CJ asked.

They were dressed in pajamas, relaxing on the couch in their junior suite. Danny called down to order CJ’s ice cream and a beer for himself. A movie played on HBO but the couple paid it little mind.

“Oh God,” he rolled his eyes. “It’s a long story.”

“You have somewhere you're rushing to be?”

“OK, here is the abridged version. My parents split up when I was fifteen; you knew that. Dad was off to do what he did. He was covering a Vietnam War protest in New York City that got a bit out of hand. He ended up in the ER where he met a beautiful med student. She stitched his forehead and he was completely enamored with her. The thing is that dad gets enamored and then bored like I change my socks.”

“It doesn’t seem that way with Martha.” CJ said. “He seemed as if he wanted to give her everything, even what he could not.”

“They have been on and off for about 33 years. He does his thing, she does hers, and occasionally they get together. For about a decade of that time, she was married. It was after my brother and sister came along. I don’t know, but I think dad would be happy to die with Martha. He loves her almost more than he is capable of loving.” Danny shrugged. “Irish men are strange that way.”

“Hmm. I would love to meet her. Have you ever met her?”

“Once, though we've talked on the phone more times than I can count. We had lunch once when I was in New York…I wanted to meet the face behind the voice. She is the perfect foil for my father.”

There was a knock on the door. CJ clapped, she knew it was her ice cream. Danny got up and went to the door. She pulled her feet under her, Indian style, as he walked back into the living room. He carried a sterling silver tray with a matching bowl on top. The bowl was covered.

“Your ice cream, milady.”

“Thank you kind sir.”

As Danny sat beside her, CJ pulled the cover from the bowl. She gasped and looked at her companion.

“Danny?”

“Yes?”

“Oh my God.”

“Claudia Jean lets get married. I know we have many more hurdles to jump over but I am sure I want to do it together. I love you so much. Here, let me take the ring out of the ice cream.” He pulled it out, dipping a napkin in some water and cleaning it off. It was quite lovely; a two-carat stone set in a white gold band. He held it in his hand, his eyes full of hope.

CJ took a deep breath and smiled.

“Its beautiful.” She said.

“I picked it out on my own. Bess wanted to help but I declined. I love my sister but she is a bit bossy.”

He whispered it as if Bess was somewhere close. That made CJ laugh. She knew Danny’s sister, who lived in the Los Angeles suburbs, and she was a bit bossy. The women got along well.

“Yes, I’ll marry you.”

“You will?”

“You figured I would say no?” CJ asked.

“I wasn’t entirely sure. I just…”

“I love you Danny.”

She had not said that much since the first time in March. The former reporter was not at all sure how she felt about him. He knew she felt something but CJ was still battling demons. She saw Dr. Bennett once a week but she did not discuss her sessions very much with Danny. Margaret won the battle to push back Foundations for Change's start date to June first so CJ spent more days at the office preparing. The couple fought less and talked more, even if the conversations were mostly topical.

“I know. Are you sure you want to say yes?”

“This is the strangest proposal I have ever been a party to.” she started eating her ice cream. It was going to melt soon.

“So, there is a long list of men who wanted to make you theirs?”

“Not a long one, though respectable. Danny, I want to marry you. If I didn’t then I would say no because hurting you is the last thing I ever want to do.”

Danny nodded. For a while, they were just quiet. CJ enjoyed her ice cream while Danny sipped his beer and watched the muted television. It was Emma, Gwyneth Paltrow with a damn fine British accent, matching wits with Colin Firth’s stable Mr. Knightly.

“I'm a little peeved.” CJ said, putting the empty bowl and tray on the table.

“The ice cream not good?”

“Danny! You proposed to me; now you're watching television. C’mere you fool.”

Danny moved into her arms.

“I'm sorry, I just wanted to you to enjoy your ice cream before…”

“Before what?”

“Before I made love to you.”

“Mmm,” she kissed him. “First, there is something I want to tell you.”

“What?” Danny lifted the tee shirt over her head, kissing along her collarbone.

“You're gonna be a daddy.”

“What?” he looked at her. “What?”

A broad smile spread over CJ’s face. Danny didn’t think he had ever seen anything more beautiful.

“We’re pregnant.”

“How long have you known?” he sat up on the couch.

“A few days. I was getting ready to burst but I knew this weekend would be special. I didn’t realize how special.”

“I'm going to be a father?”

“Yeah.” She nodded.

“I'm going to be a father!” Danny exclaimed. He jumped up from the couch, dancing around the room like a maniac. CJ could hardly keep up with him. Soon he was back on the couch, holding her tight against him as he caught his breath. She held him just as tight. “When? When are we having the baby?”

“My due date is November 16th.”

“We had a fight on February 16th.” Danny replied, going back in time in his mind. “You slammed the door in my face and almost broke my nose.”

“We made up.”

“I do remember. We made up again on the 17th and the 18th.” He kissed her. “I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“You know we don’t have to be married to be parents, right?”

“Oh yes we do; but that is not why I said yes.”

“Make me an irrational promise. I need to be sure about that.”

CJ took his face in her hands.

“I promise, absolutely. Now, give me my beautiful ring.” She held out her hand.

Danny slipped the ring on her finger before turning her hand over and kissing the palm.

“I'm going to be a dad.” He whispered. “You're going to be a mom. What about your work?”

“We will cross the brick walls when we come to them, remember?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. “I can't wait to tell my parents. Oh Claudia Jean, I am so happy. So, so happy.”

CJ was happy too. She truly believed her time had passed. While she was not one of those women who felt she was incomplete without children, she had always wanted a family. Her mother died when she was young; CJ’s sense of family went with her. She loved her father and brothers but nothing was ever the same.

She got a bit of that back with her boys but that was broken now. Death and dishonor fractured what was left of it. CJ could be content with Danny. They would love each other. It didn’t have to be a fairy tale; people called them that for a reason. It might be hard sometimes…it would certainly be imperfect. That didn’t mean it wasn’t right.

CJ felt it was right. She knew she still had some way to go before she could give Danny everything that he willingly and eagerly gave to her. She was prepared to make that journey. Danny stroked her stomach and she smiled.

“Lets go to bed.” He said.

They walked into the bedroom with their arms around each other. Between the sheets, Danny wanted to cuddle; bask in the glow of the good news. CJ was in the mood but knew she could have him in the morning. Danny was always horny in the morning.

“Do you want a boy or a girl?” he asked her in the dark.

“I want ten fingers, ten toes, and maybe my father’s eyes. My father had beautiful blue eyes.”

“Do you think your father would have liked me?”

“He asked me once why the redhead kid always gave me hell. I told him that it was your job. He said, and I will never forget this because I would think of it later and laugh, he said if I didn’t know better I would think he had a crush on you.”

“Your father was a perceptive man.”

“He certainly was. Your father was great too.”

“I wonder what kind of father I will be.”

“The absolute best, I'm sure. Our kid will be very lucky to have you.”

“I'm lucky to have you.” He kissed her forehead. “Patience prevailed…my mother was right. I love you CJ.”

“I love you too. It was a very good night.”

“I wish my proposal could have been more suave. Just a little.”

“It was perfect, I mean that.”

“You sure?”

“Mmm hmm. It was very…us.”

Danny laughed; that was definitely true. He really liked the sound of that. Very us, the Concannons. As much as he loved his father, he said a prayer before he fell asleep that he would be better at marriage and family than the man he admired most. He also prayed his child would have Tal Cregg’s eyes.

***


End file.
